Sex, Lies, and Mattresses
by Oh-no-she-di'ent
Summary: This story is about like, uh, sex...and um lies and stuff.  Oh, yeah, and mattresses.  Totally LL.  Ha!  Prehookup.  rEaD and EnJoY!


**_Disclaimer:_** I soooo do not have anybody's permission to use these characters. I won't tell if you won't. Shhhhh!

I was watching season 4, disk whatever--the one where Lorelai and Jason's relationship was put on blast. By the time Lorelai arrived to dinner at her parent's house, everybody was already there EXCEPT Jason's parents. However, when everything went down, Lorelai told Emily she couldn't leave because she was blocked in. The only one (s) who could've pulled in behind her, though, was either Rory and/or Jason's parents. Rory had left early, and Jason's parents had left two seconds before she said that, so that should have left a clear path for the jeep. But when she got out to her car, she was stuck. Until Jason moved _his _car. How'd he get behind her??? He'd been playing Emily's little twisted version of musical chairs long before Lorelai had even arrived at the house.

-------------This concludes today's segment of: Things that make you go..._wtf?_

: ) I know that had nothing to do with nothing, but that was on my mind so I decided to place it on you all's too! Thank me later. Hehe.

Ooh, yeah, the story. This seemed like too easy a plot for it to be a brand spanking new idea, so excuse the used idea if that is the case. But I've thought that with my other stories too and was told otherwise, so who knows. Okay, real life Gilmore Girls (on TV), Luke followed Nicole to their apartment and figured out that she was banging another dude. No need to wax poetic. My fictional story here places Lorelai smack dab in the middle in an AU version. Takes place in season 3ish because Luke and Nicole are still just dating. Don't know and really don't care where Jess is, and as far as I'm concerned, Lorelai was _single _all of Season 3, so no need to explain any changes there.

Complete? C'est vrai. You already know. Oh, one more thing! sry :-) But thank you _so much _for all the great, encouraging reviews. Short ones, long ones, descriptive ones...you all are fantastic. You guys are seriously making it hard for me to move past these characters. LOL. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. It seems to change day to day. Anyway, today's looking up. Enjoy the story!!!

**Sex, Lies, and...Mattresses**

"Hi, do you need any help, Miss?"

Lorelai moved closer to the sales representative, running over her foot in the process. "Sorry. I'm sorry," she offered quickly as she crossed in front of her. Her attention was on her for only the briefest of seconds. "I'm fine, though. No help. Thanks," she answered as she continued to maneuver around the row of clothes.

The courteous store worker smiled. "Okay. If you need anything, I'll be right over--"

"Yeah, yeah, over there. Got it." Lorelai smiled in her direction, then dismissed her politely by turning her attention away again. "You're doing a great job, by the way," she commented over her shoulder. Her eyes narrowed as she continued to look at her subjects through a gap in the clothes. "I'll be sure you get the commission when I buy..." She fumbled over the clothes off to the side of her, finally grabbing the tackiest of sweaters. Her eyes never graced it as she held it out to the sales rep, "...uh, when I buy this beautiful...thing." She put it sloppily back in place and moved some more around the clothes.

Lorelai seemed suspect. The sales lady, professional to the end, smiled even in her nervousness. It was only her second week on the job, and she instantly wondered if she was encountering a possible loon/ shoplifter in the department store. She corrected the sweater that Lorelai had put back, then excused herself.

Lorelai glanced off to see the employee leaving her side. "Thank you," she said in relief. "Can't even spy in peace anymore. What is this world coming to?" She whispered in complaint. Her eyes went back to its previous focus.

They had moved much closer. Taking note of her subjects' new distance, Lorelai muttered her surprise promptly but with much class. "Oh, shit!"

She began to feign interest in the clothes in front of her. Feeling that wasn't good enough, she turned and walked over to some sunglasses instead. And she thought that maybe a song would help to fill out her nonchalance, so she started to bop her head to an imaginary tune as she slipped on a pair of shades.

Lorelai felt her palms sweating. Clamminess set in, and she took a tiny second to look at them through the stylish lenses. She wasn't nervous, so she attributed the dampness to her _Charlie's Angel_-like spy activity. If she had learned to kick some butt, then she could complete this mission and head back to Stars Hollow with some good news. On top of the bad.

She kept her eyes low. Even as she heard footsteps off to the side of where she stood. She saw them heading in her direction before, but she had held out luck that they wouldn't actually come as close as she feared they currently were. She told herself not to look up. Not to turn and risk eye contact with the one she'd been tailing. Funny thing is, the more she told herself not to look, the more she wanted to. So, she did.

When her eyes rose, they were met with a pair of hazel ones less than three feet away. Great.

Lorelai looked down as she slid the glasses from her face. Then, she turned around fully and lifted her eyebrows at the person who looked to be about as comfortable as an atheist at baptism.

There was a smile offered.

And there was a smile returned by Lorelai.

"Um, Lorelai. Hey."

"Hi Nicole." Lorelai's eyes dropped to her feet as she saw Nicole's slow side steps away from the person she'd been walking with.

She cleared her throat and looked back up, hoping Nicole had had enough time to make herself appear innocent.

A genuine smile formed on Lorelai's lips in response to the uneasy one offered by Luke's girlfriend. She motioned toward her male companion. "This is...um..." She looked to the guy confusedly as if she couldn't remember his name.

"Stephen," he finished.

Lorelai nodded at him kindly. Then, her eyes went back to Nicole. "Nice to meet you, Stephen," she said. She looked back at him. "I'm Lorelai," she said with her arm extended. He shook her hand and Lorelai's eyes moved back to Nicole as she kept a good-natured smile in place. "I'm a friend of Luke's," she added casually. She returned focus to him.

Eyes squinted, he smiled. "Who's that?" He asked as they released hands.

Lorelai smiled in response, and once again, her gaze went back to Nicole. She linked her hands together behind her back as she continued to look at her coolly.

Nicole's disposition seemed to turn icy. Her thin lips tightened as she stared back into Lorelai's face. Her eyes dropped suddenly as if she had to force them into submission from her cold stare. A smile appeared almost from nowhere as she addressed her friend. "Steve, can you go ahead to the--" She tossed a glance at Lorelai who was very much in earshot, "--can you just go on ahead? I'll just catch up to you in a few minutes."

"Oh. Kay," came his hesitant reply. He obviously found the request problematic, but he held his tongue and nodded courteously toward Lorelai before walking off. Nicole watched him, and when he walked through the double doors, she folded her arms defensively and turned attention to Lorelai.

Lorelai lifted her brows quickly at her. "I like your gloves. Did you get those in here?" She asked.

Nicole said nothing for a moment as she looked into those joyous blue eyes. She wondered if there was ever a time when she had liked the woman that stood before her. Maybe she hadn't been given a real chance to. Who knows.

"I don't know where they came from, actually. They were a gift," she answered. She smiled in the perfunctory way that automatically made Lorelai want to frown. But she held it together.

"Oh. Well, they're cute."

Nicole smiled. Almost condescendingly. Her eyes had yet to get an invitation to the party. "Yeah. I guess they are pretty..._cute_."

Lorelai looked off to the side as she nodded slowly. She tried to not take offense. "So, who's the guy?" She asked bluntly as she looked back at her.

Nicole's eyes reflected so much disdain. And Lorelai wasn't at all oblivious to it. Nicole didn't know her well enough to hate anything about her. But Lorelai had no problem giving her reason to.

"Why don't you just ask the question that you really want to ask." Nicole said this with poise.

"I believe I just did."

Nicole's eye twitched. Clearly in anger. "Is this an interrogation?"

"You're the lawyer. You tell me."

She smiled an awkward smile. Crooked and telling of her advancing foul temperament. "Stephen is a friend. That's all."

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah, you guys looked pretty friendly." They stared at one another for a few seconds. "Especially when you were coming from the Marriott."

Nicole lowered her eyes to the floor, seemingly unaffected. She looked up with a sigh. "You followed me," she stated calmly. Lorelai shrugged, accepting the common verb. She would have preferred her actions be described with more vitality. But she figured she'd just tweak it when it came time to write the book.

Nicole kept looking at Lorelai as if she had stepped on enemy soil. "I'm not really surprised. Why do you think that is?"

"I don't know. Had a chit-chat with your mirror this morning?"

Nicole ignored the implication. "Don't do that with me. Please."

"Do what?"

"The humor. The joking. I don't find it charming, nor do I find it appropriate."

"And the gloves come off," Lorelai announced evenly. She smiled. "I can deal with that. Straight up." She got comfortable in her stance. "So, should you tell Luke or should I?"

"It's not your place to tell Luke anything." Nicole spoke calmy. So did Lorelai. People browsed nearby, but no one suspected anything out of the ordinary.

"It is my place," Lorelai refuted.

"No, it's not. I'm in a relationship with him, and anything involving him or me is between _him and me_."

Lorelai leaned in questioningly. "But you are going to tell him, right?"

"This isn't your business. I'm sorry I can't make that sound less rude, but it really is not _any _of your business."

"First off, _great _apology," she accentuated. "I'm sure you're torn up about having to sound _impolite_. Must be quite a stretch." Nicole grew irritated at the unappreciated sarcasm. "But, Nicole, Luke is a friend of mine. Someone I knew long before you even entered the picture. I'm not going to sit idly by and watch him get treated like this. Not by you or anyone else..._I'm sorry _to say," she ended, quietly mocking her.

"Treated like what exactly?" She smiled. "You didn't see anything to incriminate me with. You're going solely off of speculation."

"Spoken like a true lawyer."

"And I'll take that as the compliment I know it was intended as."

Lorelai went on. "I can't believe you would try to deny this. Luke doesn't deserve that. I mean, if you care at all about him, then--"

"Who said I was going to deny anything?" She waited a beat before continuing. "I do care about Luke. Not that that concerns you in the least, but I care about him very much."

"But yet..." Lorelai said smartly, leaving the rest to be filled in by Nicole. Nicole stared at her. Stone-faced and unblinking.

"You know, I love this. I really do. Being able to see you, hear you. Because for a second, just for a second, I was starting to feel a little guilty. And that feeling is very unflattering. But then I run into you. And guess what? _All _of the guilt melts away. Always being told everything was in my head. Like I was crazy. Or unstable. 'Oh, no, there's nothing there. Except friendship. _Friend_. _Friend_. _Friend_.' The word has lost all meaning to me. It really has. But I run into you, and in three minutes time, you manage to convince me that I have absolutely nothing to feel guilty about."

Lorelai looked at her as if she really was unstable. "What are you talking about?" She asked.

"You know what I'm talking about," she said calmly.

"No, I really don't," Lorelai answered smartly.

"Well, that's too bad." She cleared her throat, then looked at her watch. "Listen, I will tell Luke what I need to tell Luke. In my own time."

Lorelai's eyes stretched. "But your own time is sometime in the near future, right?"

Nicole folded her arms and leaned on her leg in one swift movement. "Why?" She asked tiredly.

"What do you mean, 'why'? You owe him that much. I wouldn't think you would need an explanation."

"Well, re-evaluate. Because I would like one."

Lorelai frowned. Her patience was wearing much too thin for this. "How about this for an explanation? You either do it sometime soon. Like today. Or I'll do it for you. Good enough?"

Nicole's eyes looked deadly. She tried to remain neutral, though.

"I know you hate me. Given the circumstances, I can see why," began Nicole.

"What circumstances?"

She ignored her. "And I know that this little situation is like Christmas to you." Lorelai scoffed. "But this. Needs. To. Come. From. Me. Not you or anyone else. I don't want Luke to get hurt, and I need to be given time to do this the right way. I need for you to give me that." She paused. "Please."

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "What circumstances?" She repeated.

"Please promise me that you'll let me do this. I want this for Luke."

Lorelai dropped her head. She knew that it would be beneficial to him if it came from Nicole, but she also didn't want Luke waiting in limbo while she took her precious time telling him. He needed to know this. Hearing her say that she wanted to do it _for _Luke was the deciding factor. Her agreement came on a long train of reluctance.

"Tell him soon, Nicole. As soon as possible."

Nicole nodded lackadaisically. "Thank you," she said quietly. She turned to walk away.

"Hey, Nicole," Lorelai called.

She turned back and answered, "Yes?"

Lorelai sighed. "I don't hate you. You said that I did before, and I don't." She disliked her with a passion, but _hate_ was never a word she'd use to describe another person. Food, clothes, inanimate objects galore, yes. But never a person.

Nicole looked her up and down slowly, her pose still defensive as ever. Her eyes went back up to her face. "Interesting," she replied. Then, she turned and left.

Lorelai watched her leave, her eyebrows furrowed.

"Well, I guess the feeling isn't mutual," she mumbled smartly. "You _wicked witch_." She started toward the exit. On the way out, she caught the saleslady's eye, and she turned back slightly. "Oh, yeah, I promised you a purchase, didn't I?" She asked aloud.

"It's okay," she said, just glad to see her exiting after such weird activity in the clothes aisle. "You have a nice day," she ended.

Lorelai looked apologetic. "Thanks. I'll get it next time, how about that?"

"That's fine," she said to urge her along. "Thanks for stopping in."

Lorelai smiled and exited.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

The next day Lorelai walked into the diner, instantly searching out the familiar flannel and blue cap. She walked up to her stool just as Luke came from behind the curtain.

"There you are," she said with a smile as she took a seat. Luke released a large breath as he walked over to the coffee machine.

"Here I am," he announced blandly. He wrapped his hand around the coffee pot handle and brought it over to the counter. "Coffee?"

"Since when do you have to even ask?"

"Don't know what I was thinking," he replied as he pulled a large mug out and filled it just short of the brim. "So, how's it going?" He asked dejectedly as he watched her sip the coffee quickly. She did this until a fourth of the cup's content had been consumed.

Sighing peacefully, she set the mug down. "Everything's good. I'm in the midst of breaking in my new Monolos." She turned and tried to make her foot visible by stretching it out toward the diner. "And that effort is being rewarded by the Monolos, in turn, breaking in each of my toes." She smiled. "But ask me if I care."

He shrugged. "Do you care?"

"Not even vaguely. Beauty and pain are often juxtaposed, my friend. I've gotten seven compliments on these things. Three more, and it'll be like individual boosts for each toe." She took another sip from her mug. "Care to bring it down to two?"

"They're just shoes. Probably overpriced shoes that could feed an entire family for a month."

"But they're gorgeous, right?"

"Whatever you say."

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Let's just keep that as a standby compliment."

Luke smiled faintly. "You want something to eat?"

"No, just coffee right now," she said as she set the mug down. "Thanks."

"It's my job."

Lorelai looked around the area briefly before focusing, again, on Luke. She hadn't seen him since the previous day. That morning. Hours before her talk with Nicole. And since that little talk, he had been on her mind more than he had ever been.

"So, what's new with you? How's life been treating you?" She asked as she leaned on the counter.

He shrugged as he reached underneath the counter to retrieve a box of sugars. "Same as always. What about you?"

"Did you hear about the Monolos?" She asked knowingly.

He shook his head. "Heard about the Monolos," he answered.

"Well, there's _my _bright spot. But I want to know about you right now."

He looked up from filling the dispensers. "There's nothing to know." Lorelai tried to read him, but his expression and overall disposition was so routinely indecipherable. When Luke stopped and met her eyes with question, she looked away casually.

She released a light breath. "So, how's Nicole?" She asked while looking into her mug.

"Okay," he answered simply.

Lorelai looked up. "And that's still moving forward?" She asked of their relationship. This came before thinking better of it.

Luke didn't seem to think her question was as off the wall as she did apparently. He shrugged, his eyes on his task. "Yeah..." He answered quietly. Lorelai's interest piqued at the way the question was answered. Before she could get anything out, Luke put the box back under the counter and spoke again. "Hey, you mind if I talk to you?"

Lorelai immediately slid her purse from her lap to the countertop as she prepared herself to stand. "Sure. You want to go somewhere else?"

He nodded and gestured toward the back. She walked around the counter, and he ushered her into the storage room before following her inside. He grabbed the doorknob and clicked the door shut quietly. Lorelai smiled as he turned to face her.

"What's up?" She asked.

He stuffed his hands inside of his pockets as he looked down to the floor. "This is weird, me asking you this."

"No, it's okay. Ask me anything," she encouraged as she walked nearer to him. She wanted to see his eyes to get a better sense of what he was about to say. Her moving closer did cause him to lift his head briefly. She stood almost two feet from him.

"If you say 'no', then I'll completely understand, and there won't be any--"

"Luke, ask me already," Lorelai interrupted with a smile.

He sighed and leaned on the door. "Will you go mattress shopping with me?" He asked quickly.

Lorelai looked at him blankly for a moment. "What?" She finally asked. Her confusion was clear.

"I need a new mattress, and I could use some help picking one out."

Lorelai closed her eyes to get her thoughts together. "You asked me back here to talk about mattresses?" She asked.

Luke nodded hesitantly. He, then, stood up straight and focused on her. "I bought a cheap one when I got the bigger bed a year ago." He looked away uncomfortably. "And...Nicole doesn't like it. She's been kind of riding me--"

"Nice choice of words," she commented.

He rolled his eyes and then dropped them to the floor as his cheeks flushed. Lorelai shook her head lightly, a slight smile on her lips as she watched his embarrassment. "I'm sorry. You were saying?" She urged.

Luke looked up but still had trouble making eye contact. "Long story short, I need to get a more comfortable mattress. Can you help me with that?"

Lorelai looked at him silently as her thoughts ran wild. She didn't want to say the wrong thing, but there was a chance at that happening with the number of things that bounced around inside her head. "And you're doing this for Nicole?" She asked unassuredly.

He shrugged. "Well, _I_ don't really care about mattress quality."

"So, you're getting a new mattress…for Nicole?" She asked, it sounding more like a statement.

"I guess. Yeah."

Lorelai's eyes squinted, then she diverted her gaze quickly to cover her true feelings about that admission. She folded her arms quickly, appearing disconcerted. Her eyes were on the floor as she, just _as_ quickly, unfolded them and worked on looking more apathetic.

Luke watched her curiously but didn't bother saying anything.

Lorelai sighed, dropping the contrived gestures altogether. "Luke, have you talked to Nicole?"

"Ever?" He asked with amusement.

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, ever. Have you _ever_ talked to your girlfriend, Luke?" She asked mockingly.

He gave her a pointed look, and she relaxed some as she smiled. "I meant have you spoken to her lately. Within the last day or so."

He looked off to the side. "Uh, I saw her last night…" He said cautiously as he looked at her with perplexity.

Lorelai's eyes shifted before returning to him. "And now you're buying a mattress for her?" She asked slowly.

Luke folded his arms. "What's with you?" He asked. "You're acting strange. And you look…bothered. Or something."

Bothered. She was a bit past being bothered.

There was silence as Lorelai worked to clear her head. Luke had seen Nicole the previous night. Possibly had slept with her. And now he was buying a mattress. All of which led her to the conclusion that Nicole hadn't told him anything.

Lorelai had told Nicole that she would give her time to tell him. But she hadn't intended on having to deal with her still seeing Luke and sleeping with him like everything was all hunky-dory.

For a second, she was about to fly off the handle. She was about to forget about her promise to Nicole and tell Luke everything. About how she had been having a social brunch at the Marriott and had spotted Nicole. Spotted her coming from the upper level with a man who seemed to invade her personal space with not a hint of dissatisfaction from her. She started to tell him of how she'd dipped in and out of shadows and fell back a ways to blend in. Until she followed them to a store where their show of affection obliterated lines of friendship. At least to anyone with common sense and functioning eyesight.

But as much as she hated to admit it, Nicole was right. It wasn't her place to tell Luke. If Nicole had no desire to tell him at all, then that would be a different story, but she had told Lorelai she would. So, Lorelai figured she'd just have to summon some more patience. After all, it hadn't even been 24 hours yet. Even though she thought that that was more than enough time.

She bit her tongue. Literally. Until she thought she was tasting blood. Looking up, she met Luke's eyes. "What'd you say?" She asked distractedly.

He tilted his head in worry. "I wanted to know if you were okay."

She nodded. Her smile came slowly. As she finally allowed some of the negative energy to float along. "Fantastic," she assured. Both her hands went to her hair, and she allowed her fingers to run through for a few seconds. "So, when did you want to go...mattress shopping?" She asked.

His eyes widened happily. "So, you'll do it? You'll go?"

The hopeful way in which he'd asked the question made her smile. "Of course I'll go," she answered.

A look of relief crossed his face. Asking Lorelai to do that wasn't exactly the easiest thing in the world for him. It was a little personal. But he needed some assistance, and he couldn't ask Nicole because he wanted to do it as a surprise to her.

As if on cue, Lorelai asked, "Just out of curiosity, why aren't you doing this with Nicole?"

"Well, I want to it to be a surprise," he replied shyly.

She nodded in understanding. "Well, if anyone deserves a surprise gift, it'd be her," she responded with sheltered sarcasm.

Luke nodded as he looked closely at her. He tilted his head slightly. "Lorelai, is something wrong?" He asked the question quietly. Lorelai met his eyes. It was as if he suspected something and was asking her in confidence. That's the tone he'd used. She felt that if ever there was a moment to reveal what she knew, a chance to be the friend she felt she was to him…then this was definitely it.

Her dislike of Nicole skyrocketed in that moment. She hated that Nicole had, not only placed her in the position she was currently in, but was ultimately going to hurt Luke. Lorelai felt she'd met the true Devil in Prada.

A convincing smile formed on her lips. "Nothing's wrong," she said as she dropped her eyes. She looked back up and smiled wider. "Your car or mine?"

Luke studied her for a few extra seconds. He cleared his throat. "Now?"

"Now's good for me," she answered.

"Okay. Let me go let Caesar know. We can take my truck." He placed his hand on the knob. "Thanks. I owe you one, okay?"

He opened the door, and Lorelai walked toward him slowly, her eyes on his. She felt horrible. And guilty. And stuck in the middle of something that had nothing to do with her. She alternated between not wanting to look at him at all and being unable to look away. The reason was unclear.

"You don't owe me anything, Luke. Trust me."

She walked out and he followed.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

"What do you think of this one?" Luke asked amusedly as he stood off to the side.

Lorelai bounced gleefully on the bed. "It's springy!" She said breathily as she grinned like a maniac. "Bouncy."

Luke smiled as his eyes moved up and down with her. He looked around. "I don't think you're allowed to jump like that on the bed, Lorelai."

She came to a slow bounce before she stopped and took a deep breath. "Well, how else are you gonna know how much it can take?"

Luke looked down and shook his head. Lorelai laughed. "So, do you think this is the one?" Luke asked.

There was a sigh as she turned and looked back at the mattress. "I don't think so." She looked back at him. "Do you like it?"

He shrugged. "Looks okay."

"Yeah, that should be really beneficial to you when you're standing there _looking _at your bed every night," she replied sarcastically. "Get on."

His eyes widened. With concern for her. "No, I think I'm okay over here."

She rolled her eyes and stood up. "It's not like I'm asking you to skydive, Luke. I'm asking you to try out the mattress that you're going to be spending multiple C notes on." She stepped over beside him and crossed her arms as she looked at it. "You have to know if it's comfortable."

"It looks it," he said as he motioned toward it.

Lorelai looked up at him. "You really couldn't care less about this, could you?"

He glanced at her. "Of course I could." A corner of his mouth lifted. "Not much room to. But...I could."

She smiled a little. "Let's move on," she said as she pulled his sleeve. They both turned and stopped at one a few feet away. Lorelai walked over and sat on the edge. Immediately, she frowned and looked down at it. "Oh, my god, how could anyone sleep on this thing?" She asked as she laid back.

"Not comfortable?" Luke asked as he planted his hands in his pockets.

"It's as hard as rock," she answered. She moved around trying to get a better feel. Then, she stopped and looked at the ceiling in thought.

Luke had moved over and was reading the small display sign for it. "Jeez, this is the most expensive one yet," he complained. He looked over at Lorelai's still form. "Let's go look at something else."

She sat up and smiled as she cozied on the bed a bit more. "I think you should get this one," she said brightly.

"You just said it's really uncomfortable."

"I didn't say that. I said it's hard," she clarified. Her smiled returned. "And I think it's perfect. You can probably talk them down a bit with the price."

"I didn't come here to get a hard mattress, Lorelai. That's the main thing that Nicole has a problem with now."

Hearing her name caused her to snap. "Well, _Nicole _isn't the one that's buying the mattress. You are. It's your mattress, and I think you should get it. If she doesn't like it, then she can sleep somewhere else," she said quickly. "I'm sure she'd adapt to that idea well."

Luke frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Lorelai internally kicked herself. It was times like this when her brain's quickness made her want to bow down in appreciation. "Nothing. I'm just saying that you have to be okay with the purchase too. Not just her. But Nicole seems flexible. _To new things_," she clarified. "So, I'm sure that she'd be able to appreciate the other qualities that this new mattress will have. Hard or not."

That, of course, wasn't the truth. Because the mattress was poor quality all the way. Her insistence to buy it came only when she realized the great possibility of Nicole hating it as much as she did.

It didn't take long to realize that the suggestion was immature. Luke had asked her to come because he trusted that she would help him to make a good decision. Not to play games behind his back. She shook her head and spoke before he had a chance to respond to her previous statement. "This mattress sucks, Luke. I'm sorry. Let's keep looking." She stood.

Luke looked at her questioningly, but Lorelai ignored it. She moved beside him and spoke vehemently. "But I'm more interested in getting something that _you _can appreciate. That's just an FYI for the rest of this little shopping excursion." She continued past him, not giving him time to respond.

He stood in place looking after her. "Okay. Thanks...I guess." He shook his thoughts away and followed her over to a bed on the other side of the large showroom.

Lorelai gasped and turned back to face him as she clasped her hands excitedly. "Do you see what I see?"

Luke came to stand beside her, looking down at the bed in front of them. "If you're referring to this bed that has not one chance in hell of getting selected by me...then, yes, I do."

"Have you ever been on one before?"

"No," he said without interest.

Lorelai smiled widely and took hold of his wrist. "Now's your chance," she said as she backed toward the king-sized water bed.

He stopped firm, making her pull ineffective. "I'm not buying that thing, so there's absolutely no reason to get its hopes up," he said feeding into her sudden good mood.

"Please?" She asked sweetly. She let his wrist go and continued backing toward it. "I've never been on one before either. We can do it together." She stopped when she reached the bed. Luke smiled as he stared at her intentional pout. He shook his head and looked away.

"Your face is gonna get stuck like that one of these days," he mumbled as he walked over to the bed.

She smiled goofily at getting him to agree. "And how much would that suck for you?" She asked knowingly.

"It wouldn't suck at all for me because I'd ban you from the diner."

She gasped. "You'd do what?! So, not only would I have a lifelong facial affliction, but I couldn't even make myself feel better with coffee? Boy, aren't you cruel."

"No, I'm smart. And all about self-preservation."

Lorelai smiled. "Luke, I didn't know you were pout-whipped."

He rolled his eyes. "You gonna get on the bed or what?" He asked.

She looked down at it, then back at him. "You first."

He sighed. "You're quickly getting on my nerves. I hope you know that," he replied as he turned and sat down cautiously. His body moved up and down with the small waves.

Lorelai smiled down at him. "Fun, hunh?"

"I can hardly contain myself," he said lifelessly.

She turned her back to the bed and hopped up in the air, landing in the middle of it. "Wheee!"

Luke's sitting position was immediately compromised as the mattress caused him to rock wildly from left to right to flat on his back. He sat up quickly and looked back at Lorelai who seemed to be making some kind of a water angel with her limbs.

"Okay, I'm getting up now," he stated plainly.

"No," she said grabbing the back of his flannel. "Experience it. Lay back. Here, I'll move," she said. She moved up some, then twisted her body so that she was laying the correct way on the bed, her head at the top and her feet at the bottom. She lay on the side away from Luke so he'd have room.

He sighed. "If we get kicked outta here, don't bother being surprised," he said as he turned and positioned himself next to her.

Lorelai giggled. "I won't be. Got my heads up already."

Luke exhaled tiredly as he lay back. Lorelai looked over at him, and he turned his neck to her as well. "Do you think this is comfortable?" He asked curiously.

She shrugged. "It's nice. I could get used to it," she said as she moved her body causing the bed to transport waves beneath them both.

He smiled a little. "I couldn't. I'd never be able to get to sleep on this thing. It's like sleeping on an inflatable floater boat."

Lorelai chuckled. "You mean a raft?"

"Whatever. Either way, it's not all that appealing to me." Lorelai moved the again, and the bed did the same. "Who do you think it was that came up with something like this?"

"I don't know, but I can almost guarantee that they're set for life. It's a cool concept."

"Yeah. The idea of motion sickness in the middle of the night is cool."

"Something tells me you don't really mean that," Lorelai said playfully.

"Listen to that 'something'. That 'something' sounds like it knows what it's talking about."

Lorelai smiled and moved her body again. The bed moved restlessly, making them move up and down together. "This is peaceful, isn't it?" She asked.

"Not really. Especially not with you moving like that," he said calmly. She grinned and looked over at him. There was a few seconds of silence, and Luke turned and met her eyes. He smiled slightly, then diverted his gaze before looking back at her. "Hey, did you ever think we'd end up in bed together?" He asked jokingly.

Lorelai's eyebrows rose briefly in shock. She chuckled for a moment. "If I say 'yes', how much would that freak you out?" She asked as she thought of his embarrassment.

He shrugged. "It wouldn't. I know how random your mind is. You've probably thought about all kinds of ridiculous scenarios," he said casually. "You know, I think this bed may be doing something for my back," he commented as he turned his head away. He moved gingerly.

Lorelai looked at his profile questioningly. She started to ask, then stopped. Opened her mouth to ask, then stopped. She closed her eyes, opened her mouth again, closed it, then looked at him again before finally asking, "Why would that be ridiculous?"

Luke looked at her again. "What?" He asked lightly.

She knew she could drop it. Knew why she _should _drop it. Because the topic was off the wall and could bring nothing but discomfort when laid on the table, but she really wanted to know why he thought that. "You said that I've probably thought of all kinds of _ridiculous _stuff. Referring to us...in bed together. And I'm curious by nature, so why is that so ridiculous?"

Luke's eyes squinted. "Are you seriously asking me that?"

"Yes."

Her tone was matter-of-fact. And her serious request for an answer threw his mind into a tailspin of words.

"Wha--why--you--I don--". He stopped and sighed in aggravation at himself and his non-vocabulary. Getting his mind to focus, he replied, "Lorelai, we are friends." He said this slowly. "Considering that that's all we've ever been, calling the scenario ridiculous isn't that much of a stretch." He paused and looked at her. "Why do you sound offended?"

She gave him an obvious look. "Because you used the word 'ridiculous', Luke. You could've said weird or...unfathomable...or..or even unlikely. But you said 'ridiculous'...like it's the most stupid idea in the world or something."

"So, if...Kirk had said the same thing, you'd be down his throat like this too?"

"You're not Kirk," she answered instantly.

He was silent as he studied her with curiosity. He narrowed his eyes. "So, had I answered your question with---'_well, it's __**UH**__ something that I __**UH**__, you know, __**UH**__, gave up on a long, __**UH**__, time ago. __**UUUH**__, you know--_" he said with deliberate nervousness, "then I guess that would've made you feel better, huh?" He didn't focus at all on how true that really was.

Lorelai snapped out of her bitterness as she chuckled at his little monologue. "Well, that would've been better than you making me feel like Quasimoto."

He looked away with an eye roll. "I don't know who that is."

"Well, let's just say that he's not one of animation's more physically attractive creations."

He sighed tiredly. "Hunchback," he said in remembrance. Lorelai nodded, still waiting on him to give her a more acceptable answer. "Well, you're not him," he said simply.

"Thanks for pre-empting that little identity crisis."

"You're welcome."

Realizing her sarcasm wasn't bringing the desired result, she asked outright, "So, would you sleep with me?"

Luke looked at her quickly. He waited a beat. "And she's serious," he said plainly, as if talking to someone else.

"You're damn right I'm serious. I want to know if you would sleep with me. You've hurt my feelings, and now I need a boost in morale."

He knew, without a doubt, that he would absolutely not answer that question. "You have self-confidence that is, at times, _embarrassingly_ high. You do not need me to answer that question for you." She started to say something, and he interrupted her quickly. "And no matter what you're about to say, I'm not going there with you. I'm not answering that. Number one, I have a girlfriend who I'm sure would not appreciate this little turn in our conversation, and number two...I'm _not _answering that," he ended.

"But if--"

"Lorelai, I beg you to drop this subject. It's weird." He paused. "See, I used one of the words that you said I could use. Weird."

She smiled, shook her head. "Is that an apology?"

He didn't think he had done/said anything that required an apology, but if she wanted one in order to move on from the subject, then he figured it was a small price to pay. And the subject _needed _to be dropped. If not, he feared he'd get himself into a lot of trouble. At least with his words.

"Yeah, that's an apology. You forgive me?"

She shrugged. "Sure."

"Good." They each exhaled with exhaustion and looked at the ceiling. A few long seconds passed. "Question," said Luke.

"Shoot."

He looked at her. "Is there any reason why we're still laying here?"

She looked over at him. "To prolong the moment?" She offered.

He smiled. "It's been prolonged enough. Come on, let's go find a land mattress."

Lorelai laughed and climbed off on his side, along with him. "Yeah, preferably one that feels like a board."

"Nicole would love that," he said in sarcasm.

"My point exactly," she mumbled with her head turned away.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

"Sookie, I need to talk to you."

Sookie smiled. "Okay. What about?"

"My office?" Sookie turned off the water in the kitchen and wiped her hands on her apron as she looked to Lorelai.

"You need to talk to me about your office?"

Lorelai laughed. "No. Hon, _in _my office. I need to talk to you in private. It's just kind of...personal," Lorelai explained as she looked around at all of the kitchen staff.

Sookie gestured toward the door. "Lead the way."

Lorelai turned and did just that. Once they made it inside, Sookie shut the door and turned happily. "Is this dirt? Because you know how much I love some nice afternoon dirt!"

Lorelai set her mug on her desk and sat down next to it. "It's not dirt, Sook. I need your advice."

Sookie walked over and sat in a chair. "Sounds serious."

"It kind of is." She sighed. "Okay, let's say that you saw someone...a _friend's _someone...with somebody else. And it's obvious that they were doing something...they weren't supposed to be doing. And let's say that that someone that you saw promised that they would tell your friend the truth about their extra-curricular activities. But say they're kinda dragging their feet about it. What do you do? Do you just tell the friend and be done with it or do you give the..someone...a little more time to come clean?"

Sookie was silent.

Lorelai leaned toward her. "Sookie? Did you hear what I said?"

Sookie sprung up. "I'm going to kill him!" She exclaimed. She turned toward the door, and Lorelai ran to stand in front of her.

"Kill who?!" She asked blocking the exit.

"Jackson! That son-of-a-sasquatch!"

"Sookie, what's wrong? What'd he do?" She asked frantically.

"What do you mean, 'what'd he do'??? You're talking about him, aren't you? He's the _someone_, and I'm the _friend_," she yelled gesturing. "Well, when I get through with him, he'll be the _someone_, alright. The someone in need of an _ambulance_!"

Lorelai's eyes widened, and she tried to control her laughter. "Sookie! I'm not talking about Jackson! This is about Luke," She said quickly to calm her down.

Sookie looked up at her, her anger frozen. "What?" She asked cautiously.

Lorelai dropped her hands which she'd been using to block her. She chuckled. "I caught Nicole with another guy, and I wanted to get your advice on what to do. Jackson has nothing to do with this."

Sookie still looked to her with the same expression. "He doesn't?" Her tone was still guarded.

"No!" Lorelai exclaimed with more laughter. "Sook, Jackson would never do anything to hurt you. He loves you so much. You _know _that."

Sookie's eyes fell momentarily. She looked back up and sighed. A slow smile came across her lips. "Yeah, he is crazy about me, isn't he?"

"Of course he is."

"And he'd never--"

"Never _ever_," Lorelai stressed.

She grinned. "I don't know what came over me. You mentioned _someone_, and I thought,_ 'oh, crap, I have a someone!'. _And I just kind of..." She made a 'flipped out' gesture with her hands.

"Yeah, you _kind of _did," Lorelai said amusedly.

"And I didn't mean to call his mother Sasquatch. She's really a beautiful..." Her voice faded, and she looked at Lorelai. "I didn't mean to call his mother Sasquatch," she repeated instead.

They shared a laugh before they each returned to where they'd been sitting.

Sookie took a deep breath. "Okay, you were saying..."

Lorelai thought for a second. "Well, now that the cat's outta the bag...I caught Nicole with another guy. And I need to know whether I should tell Luke. She said she would, but this happened two days ago, and she hasn't said anything yet. As of this morning. Unless she stopped in at lunch and dropped the bomb, then Luke is still in the dark. I should do something, right?"

"Who exactly are you trying to protect here? I thought you hated Nicole."

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "I don't hate Nicole. I just like absolutely _nothing _about her." She sighed. "And the reason we're even having this conversation is because of Luke. I don't want to be the one to hurt him. I don't give a rat's ass about her," she said with a frown.

Sookie smiled. "Wow, are we off of Sherry so soon?"

Lorelai looked confused. She actually had to think for second to place the name. It occurred to her quickly, and she waved her hand in dismiss. "Sherry's old news. I mean, she isn't the one that's currently cheating on one of my best friends. She isn't the one with the million dollar vocabulary, the funky little attitude, and those horrible highlights that probably cost as much as a down payment on an Escalade."

"Lorelai?"

"Hm?" Lorelai asked as she looked down in thought.

"You, uh, did the personal attack thing. With Luke's girlfriend."

"No, I didn't," she replied quickly.

Sookie smiled. "Yes, Honey, you did."

Lorelai's eyes shifted thoughtfully. She and Sookie had discussed the topic before. The personal attack thing, as it was affably referred to, was when a woman cut down another woman simply because of who she was with. It was always, _always _done over man, and both she and Sookie, had agreed that it was childish and painstakingly sad to witness. But it seemed to come attached to the cervix because all women had potential to go there. Sookie and Lorelai, however, had each other's back in identifying it and ridding it quickly. Sookie, being _happily _married, didn't have to worry about it happening now. But she still had to look out for Lorelai.

Lorelai looked at Sookie considerately. "Did I really?"

She nodded, a wide grin taking over her lips.

Lorelai smiled in response. "Hm. Must have been a glitch."

"That's a...really big glitch."

Subject change. "Sookie, please, Babe, I need you to focus and tell me what I need to do with this."

Sookie thought for a moment. "I think you should tell him," she said simply.

Lorelai sunk down a little. "Do you? Because I kinda think I should too. I mean, it's the right thing, right?" She said all in one breath. It had been on her mind like crazy anyway, and hearing another opinion that agreed with it propelled her into other thoughts she'd been having. "I mean, what if she decides to tell him in two weeks, or three, or four? And she keeps sleeping with this other guy on the side? I mean, what if she goes out and gets some kind of STD and brings it back to Luke, who thinks she's being all _monogamous_?" She ended, finding that she had upset herself with the possibility.

"That's true. And Luke really does not deserve this from her."

"Of course he doesn't deserve it." She stared off blankly for a moment. She started to shake her head as she felt her anger building.

"Are you going to be okay?" Sookie asked worriedly.

She stood up from her desk and picked up her coffee mug, finishing it off quickly. "I'll be fine," she said as she walked around to her chair and grabbed her sweater. "I'll be fine because I'm going to tell him." She slipped it around her shoulders and straightened her hair. She took a breath. "I'll be at the diner," she said as she walked to the door. "Wish me luck."

Sookie watched her walk out. "Luck!" She yelled.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

The small bell on the door sounded as Lorelai walked inside of the diner.

She looked around the dining area, spotting several townies and also a few Stars Hollow visitors.

"Just in time," she heard Luke's voice say. She looked over to the counter. A smile came across her lips as she walked over.

"In time for what?" She asked as she climbed onto a stool.

He set his pad down and exhaled. "The delivery people just called me before you walked in. They got lost, but they'll be here any minute now."

Her mind left its focal point and went straight to joy.

"With the mattress?" She asked excitedly.

He smiled. "Yeah. Thought you'd like that."

She clapped. "When's it coming? When's it coming?"

He laughed. "Calm down, it's just a mattress."

Her eyes rolled dramatically. "It's so much more than that, Luke. It's the mattress that Goldilocks saw fit. It wasn't too soft or too hard. It was just right! And if it wasn't for you and two very persuasive salesmen, I would still be laying on it right now."

He nodded. "Yeah, I had to either buy it or see you arrested with Intent-to-sleep."

"I know. They were totally overreacting. Like they don't take naps in that place like _every single day_." Luke laughed. "Hyprocrites."

"Hey, don't say that. I'd like to think that the new mattress I just bought isn't infested with other people's dead skin cells."

"Ew!" Lorelai looked around. "People are eating in here, Luke. Dial back the gross geekoid facts a little bit."

"Sorry."

Lorelai smiled, then looked around again. She cleared her throat and looked back at him. "Been pretty busy in here today?"

"Not really. Steady, though."

"Oh."

He looked down at his pad, smiled. "En."

She looked at his lowered lids as she grinned cheekily. "Em."

His eyes shifted a bit. "El."

Lorelai paused. "Uh, Kay."

Luke chuckled, still not looking up. "You took too long."

"No, I didn't," she defended weakly.

"_Uh...Kay_," he said mocking her. "That was like fifty-nine seconds," he replied playfully.

"Well, it's hard. I don't know why they expect people to do that while intoxicated when--"

"You can't even do it sober," Luke finished.

"It's hard!"

Luke laughed. She was the one who'd started that little game on the way back from Hartford the previous night. They'd grabbed a bite to eat while there, and en route to Stars Hollow later that night, she got him to participate in the backward alphabet game. It was all about beats. Had to not miss a beat. And she kept being the one to mess it up. It was meant to be a quick, thirty second game, but Lorelai's fumbles turned it into entertainment for the drive back.

And had Luke laughing nonstop. She'd blurt out random letters just to not miss the beat. Letters that were nowhere near the next to be called. And it got really interesting when she started throwing various farm animals in there.

Luke shook his head. "Gives literal meaning to beating you at your own game. Feels good."

"You know, _shut up _seems extremely appropriate, but I'm far too civilized a person to tell you to _shut up_. So, I won't say _shut up_. I won't even think about telling you to _shut up_. Nope, won't happen. The words: _Luke_ and _shut up _will not taint my lips or my mind. Neeeever gonna happen--_shut up_--nope. Never ever."

He laughed. "Thanks for sparing me."

"Anytime."

The bell over the door jingled, and Luke looked up. He smiled and nodded. "Hey," he said.

Lorelai turned around and saw Nicole.

She looked at her just in time to see an actual authentic smile disappear. She didn't know she was capable of those. Nicole's eyes went from Lorelai back to Luke. "Hey, Luke," she greeted back.

She came up and took a seat next to Lorelai. After settling herself, she sighed and looked over at her. "Hey Lorelai."

"Nicole."

Lorelai looked from her to Luke, and she remained looking at him even though his expression was one of confusion at her deliberately cold greeting.

He lifted his eyebrows and moved past it. "Uh, Lorelai, did you want something?" He asked motioning toward the kitchen.

"Um..." Lorelai had gotten very used to leaving anytime Nicole appeared. If she didn't, her discomfort would always make her wish she had. But she no longer felt intimidated by her. Just something that bordered on rage. And she wasn't about to leave them alone. Not with Nicole's sub-standard ethics at play. "Uh, actually, yeah. Can I get a...cheeseburger, extra cheese, some fries, a coke, and...a uh...large coffee?" she ended with a smile. "Ooh, and onion rings while I wait, please."

Luke scribbled all of that on a pad while nodding.

"Goodness," Nicole said as she looked over at her.

Lorelai's eyes were on Luke as she worked to not let her negative feelings spill over and wipe out Nicole's tiny frame. She looked over at her and sighed. "Goodness what?" She asked bringing her lips in.

She shook her head. "That's a lot of food. You must have great metabolism," she replied kindly.

Lorelai nodded as she stared at her hard. "I work out," she responded.

Luke's head snapped up.

Lorelai continued. "Do you work out, Nicole?" She asked. Her tone was quick and quippy.

Nicole smiled in her pause as she looked at Lorelai. She looked at Luke, then back at Lorelai, lifting her brows. "Yeah, I try to," she answered.

Lorelai smiled. "Oh." She nodded. "Who do you work out?"

"E-excuse me?" She asked with a light chuckle. Her eyes narrowed, but she didn't appear the least bit put off.

Lorelai laughed lightly as she shook her head. "I meant, who do you work out _with_?" She hit herself on the head playfully and looked toward Luke with a shrug. "I hear that working out with another person pushes you, you know. Saw it on Oprah." She turned back to Nicole. "So, who gives you that...extra...push?"

Luke looked at Lorelai with concern. That had been his position since hearing her say that she worked out. When had that started?

Tossing a glance between them, he shook his head. "Nicole, you want a salad or something?"

She smiled at him and shook her head. "Thanks," she said as she dropped her eyes.

Luke's eyes went back to Lorelai. "I'll be right back," he said as he went to the kitchen.

Nicole immediately turned attention on Lorelai. Lorelai smiled widely.

It was obvious Nicole was heated. On the brink of explosion. But she was always so cool in speaking. "What was that?" She asked.

"That...was me letting you know that your time is up."

"Oh, is it?" She asked with indifference.

"Oh, it is," Lorelai replied smartly, determined to get a reaction from her.

Nicole smiled and looked away like she was humoring Lorelai. "Look, like I told you before, I will tell him when--"

"I'm not doing that with you, Nicole. You can't manipulate me, and you can't tell me how it's going to be. Your time has run out. You can respect that and tell him yourself or you can be a coward and walk away, leaving me to do it for you, but either way, Luke is going to know that you were unfaithful to him. _Today_."

Nicole's smile widened. "Well, I guess I don't really have a choice then, do I?"

"There's no guessing about it. You don't have a choice."

Luke came from the back and set a cup of soda in front of Lorelai and a bottle water in front of Nicole. He turned and got her coffee. "Here you go," he said as he set the mug down beside Lorelai's cup.

He clasped his hands and looked between them. "Is everything okay?" He asked, noticing them avoiding each other.

Lorelai smiled. "Fine, Luke. Everything's fine."

"Yeah, Baby, everything's great."

Lorelai looked over at Nicole and frowned instantly. She never felt a desire to waste coffee, and she convinced herself that emptying her mug over Nicole's head wouldn't be the least bit wasteful. She looked away from Nicole with a slow, deliberate eye roll. Her attention went back to Luke, and she was surprised to see him looking straight at her. She looked away for a second, only to bring her eyes back under his still piercing gaze. He seemed to be reading her, but his expression was very calm.

Suddenly, he looked to Nicole. She was looking at him strangely, but he didn't pay it any attention. "Nicole, can you excuse us?" He asked not giving her time to answer. He looked back at Lorelai. "Lorelai." He pointed toward the back.

She nodded and stood slowly. "Uh...okay."

She walked around her stool, looking toward the door as she heard the bell jingle again. A big, burly fellow entered and stood with the door open. "Delivery for a Lucas Danes," he said loudly.

Luke had started backing toward his storage room. "Bring it through the back," he yelled.

The man held up a clipboard. "I need you to sign your name, man."

Lorelai rounded the corner, stopping in front of where Luke stood. "I'll sign it when you _bring it in the back_," he said with aggravation.

The man nodded, then left back out the door. Luke's eyes fell to Nicole, and his jaw tightened before looking at Lorelai in front of him. He stepped to the side and let her walk inside of the small room. Sticking his head inside, he said, "Can you hold on a second? I have to let these guys up."

Lorelai nodded and he disappeared back out.

He came back in a few minutes later and closed the door. He paced to the other side, and Lorelai turned to face him.

Sighing, his hand went to his hat. "You want to fill me in on something?" He asked.

Lorelai's eyes dropped down to her shoes. "Like what?"

He took a couple steps toward her. "Lorelai, please look at me." Her head slowly lifted and she met his eyes. His eyes moved from side to side as he looked into her eyes fully. His jaw repeatedly clinched. He released another breath before continuing. "Look, I know that you and Nicole aren't buddy-buddy, and...I guess...I can understand why to a certain extent. I mean, it's not like I'm in a rush to break bread with your guys."

Though that was quite the admission, he moved past it as if it was trite. Lorelai heard him and understood completely where he was coming from in making the remark. She didn't fixate.

Luke went on. "But something just doesn't seem right. I'm trying to put two and two together, but I'm getting three. And six. And it's giving me a headache and making me realize how much I've always hated math, and I guess what I'm asking you for...is a four. Help me to get four," he said sincerely.

Silence came from her. It was a long moment before she spoke. "Why--"

Luke didn't let her finish. "Because I trust you." He nodded. "And I know I should be asking Nicole this..." He looked toward the door for a moment. "...but I'm asking you," he ended with a shrug.

Lorelai sighed. She'd come to the diner with an intended task. She was going to tell Luke about Nicole. And not only did she have the chance, but Luke was begging her to take it. But as she stood there in front of him, his soft, kind eyes boring into hers, she couldn't form the words to tell him. She could not be the one to hurt him. It'd be like double the pain because she'd have her own on top of his.

"Luke, I don't want to get in the middle of this," she whispered.

He continued to look at her. "So, there's a middle," he assumed.

She nodded. "Talk to Nicole."

He shook his head. "I don't want to talk to Nicole. I mean, a-am I gonna be mad?" He asked shrugging. "Hurt? Hell, did she _cheat _on me?"

Lorelai looked at him silently.

He went on. "Because if she did, and you know that, then I'd rather _you _just told me, you know." He shrugged again. "I mean, it's not a big deal. I-it's not like...she's my...it's not like we're soulmates or anything, right?"

His eyes had dropped to the floor as he seemed to be thinking. He looked back up at Lorelai and they stared silently.

"Right?" He asked again.

There was more silence and even longer stares.

"Are you okay?" Lorelai asked quietly.

Both hands went to his hat and he dropped them in the next moment. "So, that's it? She cheated on me?" He asked reaching his own conclusion.

More staring. Luke's eyes fell to the floor in a contemplative fashion. Almost a minute passed. Lorelai took a small step forward. "Luke?"

He looked up at her. "Yeah?" He asked distractedly.

"Are you okay?" She asked again.

He scoffed quietly. "Not really." Lorelai nodded. Luke rolled his eyes back to the ground. "I just got rid of a perfectly good mattress," he said seriously.

That response wasn't expected. Lorelai shook her head quickly. "What?" She asked.

"There was nothing wrong with my other mattress. It was fine. But I just shelled out seven hundred bucks on a replacement mattress for her. Now, she's gone, and I'm stuck with it!"

Lorelai closed her eyes. "Are you...um, seriously talking about a mattress right now?"

She opened her eyes to see him staring at her pointedly. "Yes," he answered .

Lorelai smiled. "Okay," she conceded. "Just checking."

"Jeez, this _sucks_," he complained as he turned and paced some more.

Lorelai's smile grew momentarily. "So, this is...?" She paused as she thought of a word that could replace the one she wanted to use. Of course she knew it wasn't _'okay'._

Luke picked up on it anyway. "Well, I wouldn't say it's _okay_," he said as he continued to pace. "This is far from _okay_," he said shaking his head. "But I guess I'm gonna have to deal with it." He turned toward her and shrugged before he turned back and covered some more ground in his pacing.

"Luke?" Luke and Lorelai turned to the door. Nicole was peeking her head inside. She smiled when they faced her. "Is everything okay in here?" She asked worriedly.

Lorelai looked to Luke, and Luke's eyes were locked on Nicole. He sighed and met Lorelai's eyes. "Can you, uh...?"

She nodded. "Yeah, of course," she said turning to leave. She reached the door and pulled on the knob, leaving room for Nicole to walk inside. She did, and Lorelai slid past her and closed the door on her way out.

She hadn't gotten her food yet. But she walked over to her seat and gulped down the warm coffee. She left a sizable tip on the counter, grabbed her things, and left.

The storm didn't seem as if it'd be too bad. But she made a mental note to stop back in and check on Luke a little later once it had completely settled.

Once that storm cloud had moved along for good.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

Lorelai stayed at the inn for the rest of the day, using the time to catch up on work.

When nine rolled around, and she saw Sookie out, she figured that she'd leave also, so she hopped in her jeep and set off toward _Luke's_.

She walked inside and found him at the counter screwing with his old toaster. "Hey," she offered tentatively as she took a seat in front of him. He looked up from it and nodded.

"How's it goin'?"

She sighed, staring into his face. "I should be asking you that."

He nodded again. "Hm."

Lorelai waited a beat, then smiled. She leaned forward some. "That was, uh...me actually asking."

He smiled a bit, not lifting his eyes. "It's going good." He looked up at her. "You know, considering."

She nodded in understanding and dropped her gaze.

"Why didn't you stay and get your food?" Luke asked. She looked at him. "Earlier," he added.

She shrugged. "I don't know. I just didn't want to..."

"You didn't want to stay?" He finished.

"Well, I didn't want to make it seem like I was just sitting out here waiting for the highlights."

"Still would've been nice to see you when all was said and done."

There was a small silence. "So, she's gone?"

"She was gone before she actually left."

Lorelai nodded. "Out of curiosity, did she leave on a broomstick?"

He smiled.

"I'm so sorry, Luke. I hate her for what she did. I really do."

"Thought you didn't _hate_."

"She found a loophole."

He shook his head, still smiling. Still working on the toaster. "How did you find out?"

Lorelai's eyebrows lifted. "She didn't tell you? You mean my name didn't come up?" She asked shocked.

He chuckled. He couldn't remember a time when her name _didn't _come up in a head-to-head. That was always Ms. Leahy's closing argument. "Not in that context," he answered lightly.

"Oh." She sighed, pushing past her burning curiosity. "Well, I followed her," she said casually. She stood up and moved around the counter where she grabbed a mug and filled it with coffee. Luke didn't look up from his task. "In West Haven. I followed her around West Haven," she said as she sat back down with her full cup of brew.

"You followed her," he repeated amusedly. He smiled. "Why would you do that?" He looked up at her.

"Because she looked suspicious. And I needed hard evidence for when I nailed her ass."

Luke smiled widely as he went back to working. "You really had a problem with her, didn't you?"

"I couldn't _stand _her. Still can't. And I, for one, am glad she's out of our lives."

He actually laughed. "Our lives?" he asked calmly.

"Yes," she answered matter-of-factly. Luke didn't seem to be responding negatively to the belittlement of his recent ex, so she didn't feel the desire to let up. They were coming way too easily to stop anyway. "The way she used to constantly smile at me was just plain old disturbing. I mean, who smiles like that? She was evil. And she was way too skinny, which is understandable since Ms. Perfect probably works out every day on her _salad _lunch break. And did you hear the way she called you _Baby_? Oh, god, she totally knew what she was doing." She took a break to sip her coffee.

Luke listened to her as he continued to work on the toaster. He shook his head in her pause. "You're something else," he replied coolly.

She set her mug down. "You can jump in here, you know. It really helps the grieving process to verbally purge this way. It's healthy. And trust me, with her, there is plenty of ammunition. If you can't think of any, then I'll gladly help you out."

The smile that didn't seem to want to disappear grew on his lips. "No, I'm okay. I don't have much I want to say on the subject."

"Really?"

He shook his head. "Except I wish it would have happened before I spent almost a thousand dollars replacing my mattress."

Lorelai chuckled. "Man, are all guys this phlegmatic when it comes to break-ups?"

His attention remained on the appliance. "I don't know about other guys, but I'm not," he said confidingly. He shrugged. "I mean, I liked her...I just didn't..." He looked at her softly and shrugged again.

"Oh," she said quietly, picking up on his meaning.

He looked back at his work. "It just didn't happen. It's either there or it isn't, and with her--"

"It wasn't there?" Lorelai finished.

"Nope."

Silence followed. He smiled briefly. "Hey, can you do me a favor?"

"Sure," she answered.

"Next time you're out in the world, and you see somebody that I'm in a relationship with cheating on me, uh, just give me a heads up, okay?"

She smiled. "And you won't kill the messenger?" She asked playfully.

He returned the smile. "Not if the messenger is you," he responded.

Her smile widened. "Are you being sweet?" She asked quietly as she tried to catch his eye.

"Maybe."

She laughed. "Well...maybe I thank you...and am very flattered."

"Maybe you should be."

She blushed, glad that his attention wasn't on her. She admired his lashes for a few long seconds in silence. Then, her eyes moved down to the toaster in his hand that he continued to tinker with. She picked up her coffee, then drank.

"So, how's my bed doing?" She asked as she set the mug down and stood.

"I don't know. Why don't you call home and ask it," he replied.

"No, I'm talking about my special mattress."

He shrugged. "I guess it's doing fine. Every _seven hundred dollar_ bit of it," he stated bitterly.

Lorelai laughed as she walked over to the curtain. "You're going to appreciate it tonight when you go to sleep though. You'll wonder how you ever lived without it. Just watch." She moved the curtain aside and went up the stairs. Luke looked over in that direction and sighed as he looked out into the empty diner.

He set the toaster upright and looked at his watch. He still had more than a half hour before closing, but the diner had been empty since eight-thirty. He decided that locking up early wouldn't effect too much, so he did just that.

"Lorelai, what are you doing?!" He yelled after ten minutes of not hearing from her.

He got no response. He continued to clean, and it was only another twenty-five minutes before everything was finished. He flipped the blinds but kept the lights on as he ascended the stairs. As he came into the apartment, he already had a good idea of where Lorelai would be sprawled. He came into his bedroom area and shook his head immediately.

"I hope you're not comfortable," he stated as he stood over her and folded his arms. Lorelai's eyes were closed, but she smiled.

"I am. Too late."

"Uh, too _bad_. You have to go."

"Luke, it's late, okay. Just come to bed."

He laughed, causing her to. "You've got to get up. I'm tired, and I really don't feel like fighting with you."

She smiled widely and sat up. "Okay. I'll leave. Under duress."

She held her hand out to him, and he pulled her across the bed which she'd taken care to dress up. "Thanks for throwing some sheets on for me."

She scoffed. "I didn't do that for you. I did it for Betsy."

"Betsy? You named the bed?"

"Yes, I named her Betsy." She looked back at it. "I couldn't stand to see her all exposed and vulnerable. She looked unloved."

He rolled his eyes. "Well, thanks for...loving my bed."

"Our bed, Luke. Our bed," she said before turning dramatically and walking toward the door.

Luke chuckled. "Whatever."

His mind went instantly back to her first possession claim of the night. Her whole rapidly spilled Nicole rant came flooding back to his mind, and he smiled.

"I don't remember you kicking in three-hundred and fifty dollars...for Betsy," he mocked.

"I didn't have to. I found her," she said as she stood by the door. "I pointed, you paid. Even stevens."

He laughed.

"I don't understand why we just can't share her," Lorelai said as she slipped on her jacket. She looked at him and winked. "It's not like we haven't slept together before."

"We laid together. No one went to sleep. Or did anything else, for that matter."

She sighed. "Jeez, Luke, you're killing the implication." She smiled widely. "We can't do the flirting thing properly if you won't allow the implication to do its job."

He looked at her sideways, a smile being fought back. "We're flirting now?"

"Well, I was. I don't really know about you."

He stared at her for a few moments. He lowered his gaze, then looked back at her. "Okay, I'm sorry. Start over, and I'll jump in there." Lorelai laughed heartily. He smiled. "Whenever you're ready," he said. It took her a while to get herself under control.

Finally, she cleared her throat, a look of amusement on her face. "Okay, um..._it's not like we haven't slept together before_," she repeated mechanically.

Luke's eyes moved from left to right. He looked back at Lorelai. "Uh...yeah," he replied deeply.

Lorelai looked at him wide-eyed requesting more. He shrugged. She laughed again. "Is that it?"

His hands were in his pockets. He smiled at Lorelai as he took out his right and gestured. "Sorry, I'm not good at the whole flirting thing."

She chuckled. "Then, what are you good at?"

He looked off to the side with a small smile. "Oh, you know. Different stuff." He reached for her casually and turned his head back just as her face reached his. Her body went flush against his, her hands to his arms.

Their lips were just shy of touching. But he didn't kiss her. He looked into her suddenly wide eyes. Her breath came out fast and warm across his lips and her eyes moved between his eyes quickly. He was collected, his eyes telling, he knew. Her eyes dropped down to his lips. And he smiled slowly as his hands moved from around her waist to her sides.

"Let me know when you want to find out, okay." He whispered this, and he felt an instant shiver run through her. Checkmate.

Her eyes went back to his, and he slowly stepped away.

He dropped his head, a smirk on his face. "Well, I gu--"

His words were cut off when he was being pulled quickly back toward her by his flannel. "I'm ready to find out," she said breathily. Her lips went to his, and he moved into her, pushing her hard against the door. Lorelai moaned as they openly explored each other's mouth.

Her legs went around his waist, her arms around his neck. The door glass shook. They both grinded wildly, reaching for sensation. Clothes came to be a nuisance, and they were thrown away from skin, landing on trophies and across hardwood.

They reached the bed and landed in the middle, Lorelai on top of Luke.

There, they proceeded to welcome Betsy to Stars Hollow.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

"What a first night, hunh Bets?"

"Stop talking to the mattress, Lorelai."

Luke was on his side, Lorelai on her back. She turned to face him and propped her hand under her head. "Now, that's the way you break in a mattress," she said sexily.

He smiled. "You can say that again."

She reached over and punched his chest lightly. "Hey, I hope this wasn't too soon," Lorelai whispered.

"It wasn't."

She smiled a small smile. Almost sadly. "Either way, I'm not expecting anything."

"You should."

She looked at him for a second. "What should I expect?"

"To be treated like the furthest thing from a rebound."

Everything inside of her wanted to believe that. "Thanks for saying that."

He rolled his eyes. "Thanks for _not _believing it."

She smiled. "I want to."

He stared at her for a moment. "You will. I'll make sure of that."

A smitten smile crossed her lips. "There you go being all sweet again," she said looking into his eyes.

"It's not intentional," he said with a shrug.

"Still sweet." Her smile grew as she continued to look at him. "At least now I know whether or not you would sleep with me."

His lips spread slowly. "I'd do anything you wanted me to do with you."

Her grin went out of control. "Wow. That was really good." She moved closer to him. "Kinda making me want you all over again," she replied with a flirtatious smile.

He chuckled as he moved his hand to her bare side and down her thigh.

She inched closer and touched his chest. Her eyes were on his as she moved her hand down slowly. Over his chest, stomach, navel. Then, she paused, smiled wider. "May I?"

His eyes went narrow with his quiet laughter. "You don't stake the land, then ask if it's okay to plant a tree."

She laughed, nodded. Her eyes dropped, and she bit her lip as she looked at her newfound asset. She looked back up at him. "So, this is mine?" She whispered as her hand landed on its mark.

Luke closed his eyes, his breathing audible. He opened them back and swallowed. "It's all yours," he managed to say. Lorelai smiled, her hand gently stimulating.

"I may make you regret saying that," she said.

She moved her hand up and down his shaft with skill. "I'd like to see you try," he said in a thick tone.

Lorelai lifted her hand and moved into him. "Brace yourself, Betsy," she whispered.

"Stop talking to the bed." His hand cupped her cheek as she straddled him. "And I second that," he said to the mattress as her lips met his in a passionate kiss.

The mattress squeaked quietly as if in protest.

There were many days and nights that lay ahead of Luke and Lorelai. And the launching point had been established.

On this day. In this apartment. And on this bed.

A bed that was in for a very hard knock life.

**-The End-**

How many people had the song from _Annie _pop into their head just now? LOL. I'm stupid. Okay, review and let me know what you thought, please. Two fingers.


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